Automatic air-pipe coupling.



, PATBNTPU PPP. 13, 1906.v P. SETTING & P. HoovBPh AUTOMATIG AIR PIPE COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED OUT. 31.1905.

Witnesses Aitnrn eys UNTTED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE.

PIETRO SETTING AND PETER HOOVER, E STEELTON, PENNSYLVANIA.`

AUTQMATIC 'Am-PIPE coiJPLlNc-r..

Specification of Letters Patent. y q l Application filed October 31, 1905. Serial No. 285,300.

Patented Feb. 13, 11906.

j To all whom zl may concern:

' after fully Beit known that we, PIETRO SETTINo and PETER'HoovER, citizens of the United States, residing at Steelton, in the county'of Dauphin and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Automatic Air-Pipe Coupling, of which the following is a specilication. e l

This invention relates to couplers for connecting train and signal pipes ofI railway trains, and has` for its principal object to provide an improved coupling means that is automatic in its operation ,and is connected as the cars are coupled together without the ,necessity of any manual adjustment or manipulation. j

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic coupling apparatus in which the outflow of airfrom the train or sig nal pipe is prevented when the cars areuncoupled, so that in the event of the parting of a train the brakes will stillremain under the control ofthe train crew.

With these and other objects in view, as will more fully hereinafter a pear, the invention consists in certain nove features of construction and 'arrangement of parts hereindescribed, illustrated in the accompany1ngdrawings,'and articularlypointed out 1n the appended claims, it bein understood that various changes in the crm, proportions, size, and minor details of the structure may be made Without departing from the spirit or sacriicing any of the advanta es o the invention.

' In t e accom anying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view o an air-pipe ,coupling congaged position.

'and showing structed in accordance'with jthe invention a portion of a second coupling in position to be engaged b the first. Fig. 2 is `a longitudinal sectionalr elevation through a pair of coupling members in ven- Fig. 3 is a detail 'sectional view, on an enl'argedvscale, yof the, ieldable joint or connectionjofthe male mem er.` Fig. 4 is a view, on an enlarged scale, of the end portions of two coupling members in engagement with eachother.

to indicate corresponding Similar characters of reference are employed the several figures .of the-drawings. s y -In carrying out the inventionlthe, trainpipe, signal-pipe, or other pipe A to be cou-y pled between the cars is provided withl two reception o parts tluoughoutv to engage the corresponding members carried by the cars when the latter are brought together, and the couplings always remain in proper position without regard to the direction in which the-car is turned. The section B of the, coupling comprises a tubular casing 10, that is arranged toreceive a slidable pipe l 11, from which projects a disk or pin 12, that is rigidly secured to said pipe, and the latter slides througli ari-opening formed in a transversely-disposedipartition 13, carried by said casing 10.A Between the two members12 and 13 is arranged a helical compression-spring 14, that tendsto separate said members and force the forward end of the tube 11 out through the end of the casing, a packing disk 16 being j placed at this point to lessen the danger ofleakage. The end of the pipe'extends through an opening formed in a disk 17 and through a packing-ring 18, having a beveled seat for the 'a valve 19, that is screwed or otherwise secured to the inner end of the pipe and is forced into engagement with the seat 18, when the'spring14 1s allowed to expand, as when the car is detached, and at this time the valve in closin against the seat will pre,-

vent the leakage o any air from the pipeA.,

When the pipe 11is forced inward by engagement with a mating coupler of another car,

the valve will be moved away from the seat, y

and an olpening 20, formed in the wallof said pipe, wil place the latter in communication with the interior of the casing 10, so that air from'the pipe A may flow from the pipe 11 and pass thence to and throu h the mating coup er on an adjacent car; he construc- `tion thusfar described is common to the members B and C, and these parts differ from each other onlyin the end sections, one .of the tubesn 11 ca g a male member D and the other a femal member E.

The male member D isfin the form of a tube 22, having at its enda nipple 23, formed of rubber or other yieldable material, and

IOO

held in place by a suitable sleeve 24,- and this t y nipple 1s arran ed to engage against aseat 25, formed in t e female member E, the seat being also ofrubber or similar yieldable materia so that when the two parts are en:

"gage l a perfect joint will be formed and 'thev l escape of air prevented. In order to guide l Having thus described the'invetntion, what themale member to position, the female member has a funnel-shaped hood 26 projecting from its forward end.

In orderl to compensate for differences in the heights of cars and to permit proper coupling when the cars are on curved tracks,

that it may swing freely in all directionsi The end of the tube 10 is provided with a sleeve i 27, having a tapered socket for the reception of a tapered flange atthe end of the sleeve 28, that is secured tothe tube 22, and said sleeve Z8 is engaged by a flanged collar 29, that is screwed on the periphery of the sleeve 27 in order to couple the two sleeves, a set-screw 30 being employed to hold the sleeves permanently in place. To prevent the escape of air at thecoupling, a sleeve 31, of' rubber orsimilar material, is placed within the coupling, and within this sleeve is a coiled spring i12, that tends to force'the rubber sleeve outward into firm engagement with the innerface of the coupling lmembers and at the same time permits free flexing of the tube as the coupling members move with relation to each other, the construction being such that the male member may move freely in an y di- C s :a r'ction In order to properly engage a mating 30 member .on a ear that is higher or lower and at the same time insure the retention of the parts in proper position in case of swaying of t-hc cars or .while the train is traveling around curves.

When the couplings are in operative position, the springs 14 of both coupling members are placed under stress and the valves 19 are forced away from the seats 18, so that the 4air 'may freely pass from the train-pipe of one car to the train-pipe of the next ear; but in case the train parts, or the coupling is at the rear end of a train, the springs 14 will move the tubes 11 outward and the valves will be closed against their seats, preventing the leakage of air from the train-pipe, and this is of practical value, especially in the event of the parting ofthe train, for the reason that -as the cars separate the springs 14- will tend to maintain the couplings in engagement with each other during the separating movement, andthe valves 19 will beI seated before the ycars are wholly detached, and no air can escape from vthe train-pipe, so that there is n'o emergency application of the brake with the resultant danger of rearend collision, such as commonly occurs in the partingl of a train having air-couplings of the ordinary construction.

is claimed is- 1. In an automatic air-pipe coupling, casings arranged to be supported by the cars, each casing being provided with a valve-seat, a helical compression-spring Within each cas- L ing ..,tubes arranged to slide within the casthe male member 22 is yieldably mounted so f@ ings, a valve carried by each tube and arranged to close against the valve-seat under the action of the spring, each tube having a lateral port through which' fluid may be passed to or from the casing when the valve is 'unseaterh a packing-ring arranged at the outer end of cach casing and through whichy the tube. slides, and mating members arranged at the outer ends of the tubes.`

2. In an automatic train-pipe coupler, a coupling member including a pair of tubes yhaving coupling-sleeve`s arranged to permit free play of one section of the tube, and a flexible lining Within the coupling member to prem-nt the escape of air.

In an automatic train-pipe coupler, a coupling member including a pair of tubular sections having coupling-sleeves arranged to permit free movement of one section with respect to the other, an 'elastic sleeve arranged within the said coupling-sleeves, and a spring disposed within the elastic sleeve and tending to force the latter outward into engagement with the walls of the sleeves to prevent the escape of air. l

4. In an automatic air-pipe coupler, a coupling member including a pair of alined tubes provided with interfit-ting sleeves, a

clamping-ring for holding said sleeves to-4 gether, and a lining member of flexible elastic material arranged within said sleeves.

5'. In an automatic air-pipe coupler,` interf engaging coupling members, one having a yieldable nipple, and the other a yieldable socket member for engagement with the nipple. v

6. In-an automatic train-pipe coupler, a male member having a nipple of' yieldable material, and afemale member having a'ring or socketfalso (formed of yieldablc material, and a'guiding-funnel arranged in advance of said ring or socket. f

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our own we have hereto affixed our signatures in the preseneeof-two witnesses-` PIETR() SETTING. PETER I-IOQVER.

I'Vitnesses:

A. B. SMITH, ANNlE M. ELY. 

